Lashes.

The sea going tug the Svitzer London can be seen in the photo above - click on it to see a larger version. The 447 ton tug was built in 2014 and operates on the Thames, Medway and the Southern North Sea. She was moored off Erith last week, when I took the photo.  Many local residents are only dimly aware that Erith has a long and distinguished history as a maritime town; indeed one of the most important marine engineering companies in the world still has its' headquarters in the town. Kort Propulsion have their head office in the old River Police building in Erith High Street, adjacent to the wooden jetty seen in the photo above. Kort Propulsion describe themselves thus:- "For more than 90 years, Kort Propulsion has been synonymous with developing and supplying outstanding propulsion packages for the marine industry. Coastal shipping, offshore, towage, inland waterway, dredging, fishing and ROV, are among the market sectors of this Thameside firm that pioneered the Kort Nozzle – a groundbreaking shrouded propeller assembly – back in the mid-1930s. Based at Erith, Kent with a partner manufacturing facility at Dartmouth, Devon, Kort designs and supplies propulsion equipment for vessels from the small to the large. Global customers range from Australian and Philippines’ offshore wind farm businesses, to Romanian waterway operators. The brand is strong: everyone knows who we are. Ship propellers must be highly efficient, with energy converted to thrust with only a minimum of loss and without generating unwanted vibration and inboard noise. Erosion damage due to propeller cavitation – the formation of an empty space within a solid – must also be avoided. Kort is employed by many owners, shipyards and designers at the design stage to ensure vessel performance meets specification. Finding the right balance between these demands is a major task of the designer. The next design step is to define the blade geometry that satisfies all these requirements. The hydrodynamic performance is evaluated by computational analyses and often followed by model experiments. As any naval architect or vessel operator knows, a propulsion system which is matched to complement a vessel’s hull design will maximise this vessel’s performance and manoeuvrability. The design and supply of nozzles, propellers, conventional and high lift rudders, bearings, shafting, steering and stern gear is Kort’s core operational area. This single source means vessel designers, builders or operators can secure a complete package of propulsion and manoeuvring devices with confidence. We are propeller experts and designers, and with over 90 years experience, our expert team can advise on the single system or combination of systems that best suit a particular vessel. We supply unique products including our own range of tunnel thrusters and small steerable propulsion and our data and trials allow us to design effective,quality propellers for the future. As well as customised packages, designers, builders and owners can access Kort’s consultancy services; a facility popular among smaller shipyards and boat builders without access to their own consultancy or technical departments. Whether it’s a fisherman with a single boat or a large tug operator we offer the same quality service. Owners and designers come to us with powering and propulsion estimates and specific needs such as speed. We perform the calculations to achieve those objectives and guarantee performance. Again this is all based on the experience and knowledge we have developed over the past 90 years".  You can learn more about Erith based Kort Propulsion by clicking here. 

This October marks the twelfth anniversary of one of the most horrible crimes to take place in the local area; Nicola Edgington, a woman with a history of severe mental illness and extreme violence, murdered one person and seriously injured another in a frenzied attack which took place in Albion Road, Bexleyheath, by the war memorial outside of the Ten Pin Bowling Alley. It was not the first time that Nicola Edgington had killed someone. Her history gives some insight into what caused her mental disturbance which led to deaths. Edgington has a younger brother and younger sister. Edgington told police that she was abused by her father when younger. She shoplifted during her adolescence and used violence against her brother and mother since childhood. She had stays in care homes at times. She worked as a hairdresser, shop assistant and saleswoman. According to reports in the press, she has been a prostitute, pole dancer and drug dealer. At age 17, Nicola miscarried twins after being punched in the stomach by a violent boyfriend and at 19 she was pregnant again, by a drug-dealer boyfriend, and gave birth to a son three months prematurely. It was Marion (Nicola's mother) who helped Nicola care for the baby, until Marion gave the boy to social services foster care. Edgington married a Jamaican man who is the father of her younger son. The sons were taken into care and then to Jamaica by her ex-husband. On 4 November 2005, Edgington stabbed her 60 year old mother, Marion, nine times in Forest Row, East Sussex for which she was convicted of manslaughter due to diminished responsibility (based on diagnoses of schizophrenia and emotionally unstable personality traits) at Lewes Crown Court on 23 October 2006. She was detained indefinitely under the Mental Health Act 1983 and, following treatment and psychiatric evaluation, was released conditionally in September 2009, moving into a Greenwich flat. In September 2011, Edgington sent a message via Facebook to her brother saying she wasn't getting the help she needed, missed her mother, and had had a miscarriage. She left her phone number and asked him not to tell their father, Harry, that she had made contact. Her brother replied that she killed their mother and he found the body, that the miscarriage was good news, and that she should kill herself by cutting her wrists. Edgington sought help from the controversial Universal Church of the Kingdom of God prior to the attacks, as she had prior to the killing of her mother, which may have disturbed her further. On the 6th, 7th and 9th of October 2011, Edgington contacted police several times by phone and once in person reporting that individuals were making death threats against her (naming one individual), and later that two cocaine users were refusing to leave her flat and may have stolen from her. Despite initially being graded as serious and requiring police attendance, no police were dispatched to investigate. On the morning of 10th October 2011, Edgington pleaded numerous times with police and local mental health services to physically detain her under their legal powers as she felt she was having another psychotic breakdown, saying she had killed someone before and that the more scared she became the more dangerous she could be. Although taken to Queen Elizabeth hospital, she was left there by police prior to being securely admitted, and the psychiatric staff decided they were only going to admit her on a voluntary basis despite her risk profile and secure care plan being in her psychiatric file. Later in the morning of 10 October 2011, while waiting for staff to change shift and admit her, Edgington left the hospital through a door that should have been locked, took two buses, and stabbed two strangers in the street in separate attacks in Albion Road, Bexleyheath. She bought a knife from Asda with which she tried to kill 22 year old Kerry Clark, who survived and took the knife off her. Edgington subsequently stole a knife from a butcher's shop and stabbed 58 year old Sally Hodkin, who died of her injuries within minutes. Edgington was arrested later the same morning. According to psychiatrists, Edgington was suffering from paranoid delusions and hallucinations, with a religious subtext. She believed a 100-eyed monster was guarding the throne of God against enemies, and saw shops looking like a nuclear holocaust had taken place; she believed Jesus had come back to save everyone's souls except hers which she couldn't understand as she loved God. She also felt she was in a computer simulation and had various bizarre beliefs relating to famous figures and films. On 7 February 2013 at the Old Bailey, Edgington was convicted by jury of the attempted murder of Clark and of the murder of Hodkin. Judge Brian Barker jailed her for life on 4 March 2013, with a minimum tariff of 37 years. Barker wrote that despite Edgington's firm long-standing diagnosis of schizophrenia and probable psychosis around the time of the attacks, he believed the over-riding factor was borderline personality disorder (in the UK usually referred to in ICD terms as Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder, Borderline Type) with rational ability. He referred to a recent medical report indicating no need for hospital treatment for Edgington. Despite Edgington having sought multiple times to have herself detained by the police or medical services prior to her actions, Barker stated that the killing was premeditated in a way that showed a "consistent and calculated course of criminal conduct". Barker included the random and unprovoked nature of the attacks as aggravating factors indicating more guilt, while disregarding the mitigating factor of mental disability since the psychiatric authorities disagreed about it. In the inquiry which followed the case, The Independent Police Complaints Commission said:- "Police in Greenwich were not notified that Edgington was living in the area following her release from hospital in 2009 after she killed her mother. Officers and police staff did not carry out a Police National Computer (PNC) check during their interactions with her on the day of the murder which would have alerted them to her conviction for manslaughter. Officers missed an opportunity to use their powers under section 136 of the Mental Health Act when Edgington tried to leave the A&E department shortly after she arrived with police. Edgington's second 999 call from the A&E department was downgraded because she was considered to be in a place of safety and an officer was not asked to return, despite Edgington saying she could be very dangerous". IPCC Commissioner Sarah Green said: "While our investigation found that no police officers or staff breached the code of conduct, it is of great concern that no PNC check was carried out which would have immediately alerted them to Edgington's violent history. Without this PNC check, both the police and staff at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Woolwich, were without crucial information which may have influenced their future decisions, increased the urgency of the situation and could have escalated the medical attention she was given." Ms Green said she hoped both the Met and Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust - which was managing Edgington's care after she was released into the community - would "learn lessons from this tragic case to improve the handling of high-risk individuals such as Nicola Edgington in the future." The prosecution said Edgington had a borderline personality disorder, was emotionally unstable and regularly blamed others for her situation, while the defence said she had schizophrenia. John Cooper, QC, mitigating, said Edgington was a woman in crisis and had not been given the help she asked for. He said she had done what she was told to do; she had called police and taken herself to hospital and had also called her mental health support workers while she was on the bus she took to the scene of the killing, which was also the bus route to The Bracton Centre - a secure mental health hospital in Dartford where she had previously been treated. Marjorie Wallace, chief executive of the mental health charity Sane, said the case was a "shocking indictment" of psychiatric services and all of the agencies involved. "The most worrying aspect of this is that it could have been prevented. Edgington told people she was not taking her medication and had become a danger to herself and others, yet felt she had to prove it to be taken seriously. If the system cannot cope with the relatively few cases of people with mental illness and a history of violence, how can we prevent the stigma which blights the lives of so many thousands who suffer from mental illness and are never violent?" In a very recent development, the Criminal Cases Review Commission confirmed it had referred the case of double killer Nicola Edgington to the Court of Appeal, adding there was a 'real possibility' her murder conviction will be overturned and replaced with a manslaughter conviction due to Edgington having diminished responsibility at the time of the murder due to her severe mental illness. The CCRC – the miscarriages of justice watchdog – said it was referring her conviction to the Court of Appeal 'because new evidence about her mental health suggests that her responsibility may have been significantly diminished at the time of the offence'. The CCRC said it referred Edgington's conviction after 'commissioning fresh psychiatric assessments'. More on this story in the future. Comments and feedback to me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

Dartford Library / Museum is currently hosting an exhibition on the creation of the bronze sculptures recently installed in the town - entrance to the museum is free. Details here:- ‘It’s only rock ‘n’ roll (but I like it)’. Amy Goodman presents - The Making of the Glimmer Twins. The bronze sculptures, commissioned by Dartford Borough Council and funded by contributions from Bellway London’s Copperhouse Green development, celebrate the lives and achievements of Sir Mick Jagger and Keith Richards and inspire a new generation of creative Dartfordians to go out and change the world.  This exhibition provides deeper insights into Amy Goodman’s artistic process and captures the making of The Glimmer Twins.

Date:  August 10th 2023 – November 25th 2023

Opening Times:

Weekdays: 10.00am to 5.00pm

Saturday:  10.00am to 4.00pm

Sunday:  CLOSED

Address: Dartford Library Central Park, Market Street, Dartford, DA1 1EU"

Do you recall the Vidor brand of batteries? They used to be sold all over the place, especially in shops such as Woolworths. They were cheaper than Ever Ready or Duracell, and very popular, if not nearly so long lasting or reliable - to be honest in my experience they were pretty rubbish. The brand Vidor was based in Erith, and they produced a range of consumer electronics in the years after the war; their battery production facilities were located in South Shields and Dundee, whilst their television and radio factory was located in St Fidelis Road, off West Street, Erith. In 1934 T. N. Cole, managing director of the Lissen battery company, left that company sometime after it had been taken over by Ever-Ready; he purchased the Burndept radio company and set up the Vidor battery company, in direct competition with Lissen/Ever-Ready. Vidor's name came from the initials of Thomas's two daughters, Valerie and Denise, and his wife Rebecca. As a concession to Ever Ready and his agreement with the company, he did not run Burndept and Vidor himself, but employed Mr. R.P. Richardson as Managing Director. In 1935 Thomas brought an action appealing against the agreement with Ever Ready. An out of court settlement was made and from that time on, relations between Ever Ready and Vidor were strained, not helped by popularity of Vidor batteries with radio dealers because of their competitive prices, which were around twenty five percent cheaper than their rivals. In 1939 a Vidor portable radio shown at the National Radio Exhibition. After World War II, between 1947 - 1958 Various models of radio were manufactured. You can see a video of a 1955 Vidor My Lady Anne portable valve radio in operation by clicking here. The company appears to have been absorbed into several others in the late 60's / early 70's, and the battery making part of the business was sold to an Argentinian company, who as far as I can ascertain, still own the brand.

I have heard rumours locally that the Bexleyheath branch of Wilko has been saved and that the store is now not closing. After carrying out some research I can say with a degree of certainty that this is unfortunately not the case. The store will indeed be one of the last to close in the UK, but it is definitely closing - the date for it to finally close its' doors will be Thursday October the 5th. Whether another retailer will take on the very large store space is currently unknown. 

Whilst I was in Bexleyheath on Friday afternoon, I encountered the vending machine in the photo above - click on the photo to see a larger version on the image. The machine is currently located adjacent to the entrance to WH Smith on the inside of the Broadway Shopping Centre. The reason for me taking the photo is that I doubted that some readers would believe me otherwise, due to what the vending machine is selling - false eye lashes! It seems to be the fashion among a proportion of young girls and women to wear false eye lashes at the moment. I did some research into these unusual vending machines, and I was quite surprised at what I discovered. These machines are designed to dispense pre-packaged false eyelash sets. Customers can choose from a variety of styles, lengths, and thicknesses, ensuring that they can find lashes to suit their desired look. The process is quick, easy, and mess-free, making it an attractive option for those who want to enhance their eyelashes on the go. False eyelash dispensing machines ensure hygiene and safety. The lashes are pre-packaged and sealed, reducing the risk of contamination. This is especially important in a post-pandemic world where cleanliness is a top priority. Dispensing machines could expand beyond false eyelashes, offering a wider range of beauty products such as lipsticks, skincare items, and nail products. All very interesting - how successful and popular such vending machines will become is currently unknown. I do these things so you don't have to!

BT has revealed details on its UK-wide rollout schedule as it switches over from analogue phone lines to a digital voice service to hit the deadline of retiring the analogue service by the end of 2025. The former state-owned telecoms giant, which still operates the bulk of Britain's telecommunications infrastructure, has previously flagged up plans to switch from the old analogue phone lines to internet-based voice calls operating over a fibre network. BT said that pilots of the switchover in Salisbury (Wiltshire) and Mildenhall (Suffolk) were successful, and it is now beginning the next phase in the roll out of its new home phone service, "Digital Voice," on a region-by-region basis. This kicked off with the East Midlands in July, then Yorkshire and the Humber region in August and Northern Ireland in September. The future schedule will cover London and the North West of England this autumn, followed by the South East, West Midlands, East Anglia and Wales in spring 2024. Scotland, the North East and South West of England will be switched during the summer of 2024. According to BT, it is contacting customers at least four weeks ahead of the switch, to make sure they are ready to move to Digital Voice. The company said it will also be in contact with some broadband customers in England to invite them to switch their landline to Digital Voice ahead of advertising campaigns in their area. Digital Voice will typically mean that anyone still wanting a landline can simply plug their existing telephone into the back of their broadband hub. Those who do not wish to switch can be transferred to a broadband-only plan, BT said in an article on The Register technology news website last week. However, BT claimed that switching to Digital Voice won't cost anything, and customers will not pay more than their current home phone plan, unless they are upgrading to Digital Voice while re-contracting their home broadband plan. BT is not the only telecoms company doing this – other companies that still provide landlines, such as Virgin Media and KCOM in Hull, are also in the process of switching customers to internet telephony as part of an effort to replace copper lines with fibre connections. While many people these days use mobile phones rather than a landline for calls, there have been concerns voiced about those who still rely on one, such as more elderly citizens or those with a healthcare pendant that can be used to call for help in an emergency. In the latter case, a power cut could mean the phone service is unavailable. BT said it will not be "proactively switching" anyone with a healthcare pendant, those who only use a landline or have no mobile signal, or customers that have disclosed additional needs, where the company is aware of this situation. Any customers that fall into one of these categories should contact the company to ensure their data is up to date. Free battery backup units will be available for customers with additional needs, BT claims, and other customers can also choose to purchase a battery backup unit if they so desire. BT also said it can offer a hybrid phone with a built-in battery that can switch to a mobile network if necessary. BT has also announced that its focus between now and December 2025 is to move all customers off the old analogue PSTN service. It expects the majority of customers will move to Digital Voice, and said 99 percent of existing phones are compatible and the only change most users will experience is the need to plug it into the back of the broadband router rather than the socket on the wall.

The end video this week is a compilation of historic CCTV footage taken of Nicola Edgington boarding a bus, going into Asda in Bexleyheath, and finally entering the tile and bathroom shop close to where she killed Sally Hodkin; the footage then shows her arrest by members of the Police. Comments and feedback to me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.